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Mahtomedi holds off Maranatha Christian Academy

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 12/08/16, 7:00AM CST

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Emma Grothaus scored 33 points to lead the Zephyrs in their win against the Mustangs.



Mahtomedi junior forward Emma Grothaus finished with a game-high 33 points to help lead the Zephyrs to an 81-71 win over Maranantha Christian Academy Thursday night. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine




It was a Thursday night of milestones at Mahtomedi High School. Emma Grothaus broke out of a relative scoring slump with a career-high 33 points in Mahtomedi’s 81-71 win against Maranatha Christian Academy (0-2), while Jaclyn Jarnot recorded her 1,000 point for the Mustangs in the second half.

The Zyphers’ head coach Eric Prose was complimentary of both milestone-achievers.

“Emma was outstanding tonight,” Prose said, noting that Grothaus had been disappointed with her previous scoring performances. “Tonight she came to play and had something to prove.”

Mahtomedi’s, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, defense held Jarnot for just two points in the first half, but she found a bit of rhythm in the second, breaking the 1,000 point barrier and finishing with 16 points.

“I don’t know much about Jarnot, but I know she’s a fabulous player,” Prose said. “When she was on the bench, that’s when we made our runs. She makes Maranatha go.”

Grothaus was up for the battle on both ends of the court and relished the challenge that Jarnot posed.

“I really enjoy defending someone who is known for being a good offensive player,” Grothaus said. “I like forcing her to her weak hand, so I enjoy guarding her.”

Breianna Smestad added 15 points for No. 2-1A Maranatha, who was unable to firmly establish its up-and-down tempo.

“We knew it was going to be a really fast-paced game because they like to run,” Grothaus said. “We tried to slow their game down and get offensive rebounds and put them in for points.”

Mahtomedi (3-0) played with a 10-point lead through a majority of the game, but Prose said the Zephyrs never got comfortable and had to rely on their discipline to get the win.

“Maranatha wants to rush; they want to press us,” Prose said. “They want to get us throwing the ball all over and we’ve just got to be disciplined and slow things down. We need to do what we’re good at and play our game.”

First Report

Mahtomedi’s Emma Grothaus scored 33 points to lead the Zephyrs to an 81-71 win over Maranatha Christian on Thursday night at Mahtomedi High School.

Mahtomedi, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, remains undefeated and is now 3-0 this season. Marisa Gustafson added 18 points for the Zephyrs. 

Jaclyn Jarnot led No. 2-1A Maranatha, scoring 16 points despite being held to two points in the first half. Jarnot, a junior, scored her 1000th career point for the Mustangs (0-2) during the second half. 


Maranantha Christian Acadmey's Jaclyn Jarnot drives the lane during the first half. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

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